Smart Design With Suzette: Color Forecasting

Happy New Year to you and your family! I’m writing this column thinking about trends for 2018.

These trends let the public know which colors will be fashionable, favored and just plain hot in a given year. We hear so much about trend colors and hot hues. But have you ever wondered how these forecasts are made?

You may be surprised to learn that the main focus no longer points solely to the fashion runways in Paris and Milan. Information is gathered from many resources, such as current and predicted economic conditions, travel destinations, cinema, theater, trade shows, and various trend-watching organizations, websites and blogs.

“Color of The Year” announcements are a very useful insight because, as many designers know, it can be difficult to assure a client to go with something new or previously unseen. The whole idea behind forecasting lies in the observations rather than just the predictions. Today’s trends can start in the home and then jump over to fashion, or they may even begin in the automobile industry with new finishes and stand-out colors that end up on kitchen cabinets.

As an interior designer, I am never surprised by "Color of The Year" announcements made by trend forecasters. I have used my own observations and intuition to make predictions about color trends for the home and have done that quite successfully. In fact, I usually have worked them into the design of my home well before they are announced.

All designers have the ability to be tastemakers and trendsetters by an in-depth level of study, travel and gathering of information that forecasters put into identifying trends.

Here is what’s coming for 2018:

2018 Color of the Year by Sherwin Williams

A collision of rich blue with jewel-toned green, a color that is both accessible and elusive, Oceanside SW 6496, is Sherwin Williams 2018 Color of the Year. A complex, deep color that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, Oceanside, bridges together a harmonious balance of blues and greens that can be found in what's old and new.

The color blue evokes a multitude of moods and associations depending on hue, shade and application. Despite this variety, blues are universally perceived as intelligent, honest and interesting—making blue the most beloved color worldwide.

Oceanside's multi-dimensional, marine-inspired look can create a welcoming statement as a lively color for a front door. Its green-meets- blue tone can also boost creative thinking and clarity of thought in a home office, or invite meditation and introspection into a bedroom or reading nook.

Oceanside is universal when it comes to design style from mid-century modern to Mediterranean-inspired, traditional to contemporary. You can see how I have used it last summer to repaint a mid-century dresser that I use as a home bar (as seen in a few photos.)

2018 Key Color Combinations Featuring Oceanside

Oceanside's versatility allows it to play well with many colors. It is a bright counterpart to equally eye-catching colors like Exuberant Pink SW 6840 or Honey Bees SW 9018 or it can rest relaxingly alongside other blues like In the Navy SW 9178 or Adrift SW 7608. It is also the ideal companion for corals and copper metallic tones because of its timeless association with nature.

This being said, it's important to remember that color is a tool and just one element of an entire design. Color specifications need to meet homeowner’s goals and tastes.

However, understanding color trends gives us great insight into what's coming down the pipe, helping to create designs that are stylish and vibrant.